Sainsburys has launched its first childrens book awards as it looks to cement its position as a major player in childrens book retailing.

GENERAL MERCHANDISE

Sainsburys launches its first Childrens Book Awards

19 May 2014 | by The Retail Bulletin

The supermarket is inviting all of its current children’s book publishers to nominate up to two books for each of the three categories in the “Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Awards”.

Chaired by Sainsbury’s children’s book buyer Louise Ward, the judging panel will include author Phil Earle, illustrator Sarah McIntyre and the Sainsbury’s children’s book buying team. The judges will shortlist three books in each of the categories which include baby and toddler, picture books, and fiction for five to nine year olds.

The winning author in each category will receive a prize of £1,000 and the winning titles and shortlisted books will be promoted in Sainsbury’s stores in the run-up to Christmas.

Sainsbury’s sells children’s books in more than 300 supermarket stores across the UK. In 2011 Sainsbury’s re-launched its range of own-brand children’s books and in 2013 was awarded the title “Children’s Bookseller of the Year” at The Bookseller Industry Awards.

Phil Carroll, Sainsbury’s books buying manager, said: “We are really proud of our success in children’s books which has been made possible because of the great relationships we have with our publishers, authors and illustrators.

“We came up with the idea of doing our own awards as a way of highlighting to our customers the very best children’s books.”

The deadline for submissions is 6 June 2014 and the nine shortlisted books will be announced in early October 2014.